Hand of Glory
|owners=*Borgin and Burkes *Draco Malfoy }} The Hand of Glory is a dark artefact, a shrivelled hand which gives candlelight only to the holder. It can even shine through the veil created by Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, which is resistant to most light-creation spells. History During the summer before his second year, Draco Malfoy visited Borgin and Burkes with his father Lucius Malfoy. There, he saw the Hand of Glory and asked if he could buy it, with Borgin explaining its powers and connecting its usage to thieves and plunderers, which led Draco's father, Lucius, to scorn the idea of his son needing such a thing. Regardless, Draco purchased it sometime before his sixth year, and made use of it during his plot to assassinate Albus Dumbledore. He used it to escape from the Room of Requirement with the Death Eaters he had let into the school, after using Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder to make it impossible for anyone to see him leave the room. During the Calamity which affected the Wizarding world in profound ways during the 2010s, the Hand of Glory was one of the numerous magical items and artefacts that mysteriously appeared throughout the world, called a Foundable, which was guarded by Pixie Confoundable. Volunteer wizards and witches of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force had to dispose of the Pixie Confoundables with the Slowing Charm, which would return the Foundable back to Borgin and Burkes, its original place of belonging. Behind the scenes *The hand appears in , old and shrunken and lying on a cushion in Borgin and Burke's. When Harry touches it, it grabs his hand viciously until he manages to pry it off again. *In when the hand grabs Harry's, it takes Harry's hand off of his arm and spits it out in front of Rubeus Hagrid. *In the console versions of the videogame adaptation of , the Hand of Glory releases a shock wave when it senses movement. Lore The Hand of Glory is a magical instrument which appears often in mystic lore. In general, it is described as a severed and preserved human hand, (maybe made of wax) with a candle implanted on it. The various powers ascribed to a Hand of Glory include the ability to immobilise anyone who looks at it, or unlock any door it comes across. It was traditionally used by thieves, since it allowed them to see in otherwise total darkness, open locked doors, and immobilise guards. In some dark magical ceremonies, Hands of Glory were reputed to have been used as the source of illumination. Various grisly myths surround the making of a Hand of Glory (which fits well with the reputation of Borgin and Burkes). The hand is said to be that of an executed criminal (usually by hanging); most often the criminal himself is a murderer or other serious felon. Other myths say that a hanged man's blood is necessary to the recipe, or that his body fat is used to make the candle. The myth is probably derived from the (European) Mandrake plant (Mandragora officinarum). Etymologically, the name "Mandragora" closely resembles the French phrase "Main de la Gloire," ("Hand of Glory") The actual Mandrake plant produces a number of alkaloid toxins, including scopolamine and mandragorine, and has been used since ancient times as an anaesthetic. Chewing the root can cause stupor. A Hand of Glory appears prominently in the climax of 's dark fantasy novel , as well as the story "Box Full of Evil". They are also used in 's Laundry Files series of paranormal spy thrillers. Appearances * * * * * * * * * * * Notes and references de:Hand des Ruhms es:Mano de la Gloria fi:Kunnian käsi fr:Main de la Gloire ru:Рука славы pt-br:Mão da Glória pl:Ręka Glorii Category:Battle of the Astronomy Tower Category:Dark Magic Artefacts Category:Draco Malfoy's possessions Category:Light-based magic